Indian regulator approves fuel loading at new Kakrapar 4 nuclear unit

India’s nuclear regulator has issued permission to load the first fuel into the core of the new Kakrapar 4 unit. The Indian-designed IPHWR pressurised heavy water reactor, with a capacity of 700 MW, is expected to begin operation in March next year. India has around 30 new reactors at various stages of construction and preparation, half of which are expected to be based precisely on domestic technology.

India’s nuclear regulator (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board - AERB) announced that it had granted Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) permission to load nuclear fuel into the new Kakrapar 4 unit. Construction of two new IPHWR-700 units at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant began in 2010. Kakrapar 3 began commercial operation early this year.

“The permission was granted following satisfactory results from the required safety review,” AERB said on its website.

Kakrapar 4 is the second 700 MW IPHWR pressurised heavy water reactor developed in India. Six more units of the same type are at various stages of construction, while another eight are in the planning process.

A bet on nuclear power?

Nuclear power plants in India currently account for less than two percent of the country’s installed capacity, with around 7.4 GW. Although the country has had ambitious plans for new nuclear units over the past fifteen years, progress has been delayed.

In addition to Kakrapar 4, a further 11 units with an installed capacity of 8 GW are currently under construction. Besides the IPHWR-700, four Russian VVER-1000 units and one 500MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) are under construction.